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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28154568">Catch x My x Heart</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account'>orphan_account</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Hunter X Hunter</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Canon Universe, First Kiss, Fluff, Getting Together, Gift Exchange, HxHHoliday2020, KilluGonHolidayPresent, Kissing, Light Angst, M/M, Misunderstandings, New Years, One Shot, POV Killua Zoldyck, Post-Canon</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 17:29:16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,606</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28154568</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“Gift swap?”</p><p>Due to a miscommunication, Killua makes a very personal gift for Gon to bring to their New Years get together on Whale Island, only to find out that the gifts are going to be traded. Will he be able to sort things out without revealing his crush to everyone?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Gon Freecs/Killua Zoldyck</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>106</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>KilluGon "A Gift From Me To You" Holiday Event</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Catch x My x Heart</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Killua thought he had the perfect present for New Years. It all started when Gon invited him and Alluka to Whale Island along with a few of their other friends so they could have a little party. That was simple enough until he got a followup text from Leorio reminding everyone to bring a special present. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was cheesy, and he knew it, but maybe it was finally time to tell Gon how he felt about him. Gon was always such an absolute ray of sunshine, he always knew how to make any situation more fun, and he was a great friend too. But most of all Killua knew that no matter what they went through, they had a special connection. One he wanted Gon to know about. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>After spending a few days perfecting his present, Killua included an extra note in it, written three times over before he finally settled on the one he liked. Gon was a good person. Even if he didn’t return his feelings, Killua just knew it wouldn’t change anything between them. That didn’t stop the nervous feelings from returning. It was only natural, though, he was sharing right from his heart, it was personal. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Which made the current situation all the more awkward. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Killua froze, hands digging into the side of the gift wrap, almost tearing it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Gift </span>
  <em>
    <span>swap?”</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p>
  <span>As the words left his mouth, suddenly he felt an overwhelming sense of dread creep up into him. Oh no, this was bad. Why had he left such a personal message for Gon inside there? It was already embarrassing enough that he wrote something like that, but for someone else besides Gon to read it? Killua would never hear the end of it. He could just hear Leorio and Alluka teasing him mercilessly over his crush. Of course, the two of them had already been making jokes about him having a crush on Gon, but this would be the real confirmation they needed to go completely overboard with it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And for Gon to hear about Killua’s crush secondhand? He didn’t even want to imagine it, it was too frustrating. He needed to do everything he could to get that gift into Gon’s hands whether he wanted it or not. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s okay if you didn’t bring anything, I just mentioned it to Leorio because we were talking when I remembered,” said Gon, trying to find the perfect way to position the three unmatched candles on the coffee table. Killua watched as he shuffled them around, still not satisfied before he finally gave up and sat back down on the couch. “It’s an old Whale Island tradition that Aunt Mito used to do with our family when she was younger, but I’ve never done it with this many people before.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, Gon was telling me all about it earlier, it seemed like fun. We all put our gifts in a pile and then randomly pick them, but if you feel like another gift is your ‘lucky gift’ you can try to trade with someone,” said Melody. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And you can’t open it before New Year’s or it’s bad luck,” added Aunt Mito. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So we have to hang on to it for a few hours?” asked Leorio.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s the symbolism or something about having patience and stuff to look forward to in the new year, I think,” said Gon. Mito gave him a pointed look, one that Killua knew well from his own mother. There was definitely a story or moral behind this, but Gon had either omitted it on purpose, or because he didn’t care enough to remember. Either one was enough to upset Mito, obviously. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s just cruel and unusual punishment,” joked Killua. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think you could learn some patience,” said Alluka. Killua rolled his eyes at her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you kidding me? I have to live with you, of course I have patience.”</span>
</p><p><span>“Point proven.”</span><span><br/>
</span> <span>“Anyways, I did bring something, but…” Killua felt his words drift off as </span></p><p>
  <span>“Could I have a bag for my gift?” asked Alluka. Killua knew that she’d made little charm bracelets for people, but knowing Alluka, she was just going to put all of them in the one bag and call it a day. What a way to improvise. If only there was something he could do about his predicament. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The first parts of the gift exchange just involved taking a present from the middle of the pile. As long as Killua kept track of which one was his, which landed with Leorio first, he would be able to pull this off so it didn’t land in the wrong hands. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He had a plan. Make eye contact with Gon, and prompt him to take the gift. It would have worked, Killua thought, if Gon hadn’t been so… Distracted. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gon’s gaze seemed to be directed everywhere </span>
  <em>
    <span>except</span>
  </em>
  <span> the center of the gift exchange. Killua watched as he looked over at the clock, then the window, then the door itself, and then briefly at the gift exchange whenever it was his turn to pick something. It was as if he were staring off at something that Killua couldn’t see. No matter how much Killua tried to nonverbally get his attention, Gon was just not picking up on it. He felt a twist of dread tightening in his stomach. Why wouldn’t Gon just pay attention to all of his cues? This could be avoided if he would just pick the stupid present already. Killua felt his nails sharpening slightly before Alluka grabbed his arm. He took a deep breath and let his hands relax. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You seem stressed,” said Alluka. “Cheer up, it’s New Years!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He’s probably also worried about Kurapika,” said Leorio, glancing over at his phone. “I’d call him again, but his mailbox is already full.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Gee, I wonder why,” muttered Killua under his breath. For every joke Leorio made about Killua having a not so secret crush on Gon, he had ample material to tease Leorio about. Speaking of Leorio, it was time for the swap, since Gon didn’t see his cues. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m taking this one,” said Killua, grabbing his own gift back from Leorio. Alluka tugged on his sleeve, leaning in closer. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s your gift though,” she whispered into his ear. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alluka please, not now,” sighed Killua. “I’ll tell you later.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m going to take it,” said Alluka, taking the box from Killua. His eye twitched. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Seriously? You’re just doing that to piss me off-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s just a game, stop being so snappy with me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Killua opened his mouth to say something, but promptly shut it. Everyone else in the circle was staring at them. He tucked his hands in his pockets, avoiding eye contact as Alluka passed the gift back to him. They had accidentally caused a scene again, and now </span>
  <em>
    <span>everyone</span>
  </em>
  <span> knew that he took his own gift. This situation couldn’t get any more awkward. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If you want your own gift so much then, take it. I don’t care, I was just trying to mess around,” she said, rolling her eyes at him. Killua bit his tongue and refused to speak to her for the rest of the game, not because he was explicitly mad at her, but because he knew he was doing himself a favor by defusing the situation. Alluka was right, this was just a game, but she didn’t know that he had left such a personal message for Gon inside the gift. And she was one of the two people who absolutely could </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> open the gift. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was an awkward pause in the room. But it wasn’t directed towards Killua. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sure he’ll show up soon,” said Melody, giving Gon a sympathetic glance. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The last boat was scheduled to dock two hours ago, it’s only a half hour walk from the port to here,” said Gon, chewing on the inside of his cheek. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Killua didn’t didn’t blame Kurapika for being late, he was very busy and was already taking time out of his schedule to come spend New Years with them, not to mention it was on Whale Island, which wasn’t exactly easy to get to. But Gon should have known better, sometimes things happen and people can’t exactly be punctual like they’re expected to be. To obsess over watching the door like that was just rude to everyone who was in the room. Or so Killua convinced himself. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Maybe he stopped by the market,” offered Mito. “He might not have had lunch yet and stopped for a bite to eat.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, maybe,” said Gon, a bit displeased. “He said he was going to be here and-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span> “Okay well you can’t do anything about it, he’ll get here when he gets here,” said Killua, as if it were a matter of fact. Gon scrunched his eyebrows together. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I </span>
  <em>
    <span>know</span>
  </em>
  <span> that, okay, Killua?” Gon snapped. Killua closed his mouth. It felt like he’d backed himself up into a corner with his remark, and now Gon was </span>
  <em>
    <span>actually</span>
  </em>
  <span> pissed with him. He missed Kurapika, that much was obvious, but apparently that struck a nerve with him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But, like clockwork, just as the minute and hour hands aligned together, there was a much anticipated knock at the door. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Happy New Years,” said Kurapika as Leorio opened the door, met with Gon giving him a big bear hug. “Hey, don’t knock me over.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kurapika!” shouted Gon. “You made it!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are late, though,” said Leorio, giving Kurapika a pat on the shoulder. “Gon was worried about you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Right, I was a bit late because I picked up a few things from the market,” he said, handing a bag to Mito. “There’s some little New Years cakes in there, and-” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leorio rummaged through the bag before he pulled out a bottle of some fancy looking liquor. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s for the adults,” said Kurapika, looking immediately over at Killua. “Only.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I feel like that was directed at me,” teased Killua. Kurapika raised an eyebrow at him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you admitting there’s a reason it would be?” retorted Kurapika. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wow, coming for the throat already, I see how it is,” smiled Killua. It had been a while since the two of them had talked, but it felt like he was sliding right back into place where he was before. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’re just finishing up the present exchange,” said Melody, smiling at him. Kurapika’s expression softened, finally released from Gon’s hug. He put the rest of the bags down on the ground. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, at this point, just trade whatever you brought with someone in the room,” said Killua. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fine, hand it over-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not Killua, though, he’s being stingy,” jabbed Alluka. Killua shot a glare over at her. That was uncalled for, and made him look even more like a jerk. Which was the </span>
  <em>
    <span>opposite</span>
  </em>
  <span> of what was happening. He sighed. He made a mess and now he needed to get out of it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fine, Leorio, I’m taking whatever you got, it better be good,” said Kurapika, giving him a gift from one of his bags. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, tell us about your time, I feel like we haven’t gotten a chance to talk in a while,” said Gon. Kurapika smiled. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He told them broken details about a heist of some sort and taking down the mob from the inside out, or something like that, but Killua wasn’t really listening too much. He needed to talk to Gon, but he couldn’t just approach him about it. Gon was probably still mad at him for when he snapped at him during the present swap. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>There were only a few hours left until midnight, so they passed the time catching up over different games that Killua quickly grew bored of. He could only beat Leorio at darts so many times before he started throwing in trick shots too. He never did tell him the story about how he almost died in a game of darts when he fought the Ortho siblings, but he didn’t want to sour the mood any more than he accidentally already did. At least Gon seemed to be having a good time...</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eventually, Kurapika pulled another mystery box out of his bag, catching the attention of everyone. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Gon told me a while ago that fireworks disrupt the natural environment because of the chemical emissions and the sounds,” said Kurapika, pulling a box out of his bag. “When I was in Yorknew, I purchased these a while back.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leorio and Gon immediately grabbed for the box, opening it up to reveal none other than fireworks. Though they looked a bit different than normal firecrackers that Killua had seen before. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh I’ve heard of these,” said Leorio, turning the box over to the other side to read more. “They’re nen based and are also set off if the nen wrap is removed.” He passed the box so Melody could see too. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are these legal?” asked Aunt Mito. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Here or in Yorknew?” asked Kurapika, narrowing his eyes as he looked deep in thought. “I’m not really sure what the local rules are, but-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh look, it says here that you can set up different patterns by messing around with the bands around the edges,” said Gon to cut off Kurapika, handing one of the fireworks to Alluka, who was already grabbing a pen and paper to draw out a design. “I’m going to make a special one-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It </span>
  <em>
    <span>better</span>
  </em>
  <span> be appropriate,” scolded Mito. Gon’s enthusiasm deflated. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Aunt Mito, please,” he sighed. “I’m not that immature.” The looks everyone gave each other were worth a thousand words. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Killua found himself standing awkwardly next to the couch. He had gotten up to take a closer look at the fireworks Kurapika had brought, but had hesitated too long and was now just loitering without a purpose. Of course Gon would be excited over the nen fireworks. Why couldn’t he go over there and be excited too?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You can sit down, I don’t bite,” joked Melody. Killua spun around to see the shorter woman sitting down on the couch, patting the seat next to her. Killua took one look back at Gon, who was busy laughing at something Alluka said, before begrudgingly sitting down next to Melody on the couch. He crossed his legs, and then uncrossed them, before leaning back and letting himself fall into a lazy position. It had the opposite effect though, he felt less relaxed than before. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ve been stressed all day,” said Melody, scooting herself closer. “Do you want to talk about it.” Killua looked over at her. He didn’t know Melody as well as the others, as he’d only met her a few times before. She and Kurapika were close, despite the fact that they couldn’t be more different in terms of personality. Melody was sweet, and Kurapika was…. Trying his best. But Kurapika seemed to trust her, more so than many of the other people in his life. Maybe he should try talking to her about his issue. If he tried to talk to Alluka about Gon she would just tease him about his crush, she always did. Kurapika was out of the question, what did he know about this type of thing? Talking to Mito and Leorio would just be awkward at that point, and it wasn’t like he could just approach Gon and clear things up. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Might as well,” Killua said begrudgingly. He folded crossed his arms. “Nothing is turning out how I expected it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can see that,” said Melody, eyeing the gifts over on the table. “You got a specific gift for Gon, didn’t you?” Killua felt his cheeks heat up at her suggestion. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you think Gon knows?” asked Killua. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you. If it makes you feel any better, I just deduced it based on context clues.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s a bit of a relief, I doubt he’d be that observant since he was more focused on watching the freakin’ </span>
  <em>
    <span>door</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” Killua felt the words come out of his mouth before he could filter them. He tensed up. Melody was easy to talk to, too easy, and if he wasn’t careful he’d probably end up talking about four years of pining in just a short conversation. Well, knowing Melody, she could likely guess that much. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I see where this is going,” said Melody, sagely. “You’re upset that Gon didn’t get your present, causing you to stress out during the game. He was busy watching the door because he was waiting for Kurapika to show up, which now explains why your heart rate spikes every time Gon responds to something that Kurapika says.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, I didn’t mean to take the words out of your mouth, I just thought it would be easier if I let you know I understood the situation,” said Melody. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Killua gave her a forced smile before looking off back at Gon. What was he even doing this for, Gon was probably oblivious to Killua’s inner feelings anyways, and here he was moping on the side, for what? Did he want Gon to notice and come talk to him? Killua felt a knot forming in his stomach. Was he really just feeling this way to get a reaction out of Gon that he wanted? Was he really jealous of the attention Kurapika was getting? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I feel like I can’t talk to him normally right now,” said Killua. “I don’t know what to do.” Melody sat there for a second, silent in thought, before finally speaking up again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I have a suggestion, why don’t you try talking to him alone?” asked Melody. “Then, you won’t have to worry about other people interrupting your conversations, and you can really focus on getting your feelings across.” She looked over across the room at his gift again. “And maybe this time you can give him your gift as planned.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That means I’d actually </span>
  <em>
    <span>get</span>
  </em>
  <span> some alone time with Gon,” scoffed Killua. “Which at this rate, between Leorio, Kurapika, and even my sister seems impossible.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can help with that,” said Melody. “If you want me to.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sure,” said Killua, folding his hands on top of each other. “Might as well. I’m only staying for a few days and I don’t want to leave with bad blood.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m glad,” said Melody. “A lot of times we end up overthinking things and make problems for ourselves that don’t need to exist, and talking to someone about it can clear them up. I hope everything works out well for you with him.” Killua smiled at her. Melody really was kind at heart. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Gon, why don’t you and Killua go set up the fireworks together,” said Melody. Gon spun around. Killua felt his heart skip a beat. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sure,” said Gon, awkwardly grabbing some of the fireworks and putting them back into the box together. “Let’s take them to the raft.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The one we used to swim out to in the lake?” asked Killua. For a moment, he felt like this awkward tension between them right now was gone, but when Gon just shrugged, it broke the illusion. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, that one.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gon looked distracted again, but less so like he was waiting for something to happen, and more as if he were just thinking about something. Killua didn’t press. He didn’t know what to say. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can’t wait to see the ones I made,” beamed Alluka. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sure they’re great,” said Mito. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It didn’t get cold enough on Whale Island for the water around to freeze, but he assumed that if he decided to take a dip it would be a bit chilly. Killua wanted to talk to Gon, but the two of them remained silent as they paddled out on the canoe out to the raft. The words just wouldn’t come to him, or rather they did, but they weren’t the ones he wanted to say. It was just a misunderstanding, that he could clear up easily. But there was nothing easy about this, not since </span>
  <em>
    <span>feelings</span>
  </em>
  <span> were involved. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Killua sat the lantern down on the raft, watching intently as the light illuminated just the area where they were working. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I feel like you’ve been avoiding me all day,” said Gon eventually, arranging the fireworks along the raft. Oh shit. Killua looked down towards the pitch dark water, not even getting the comfort of his own reflection staring back at him. It was true, and now Gon had him in a position where he couldn’t just ignore him and change the subject. They were the only two on this raft, far from shore, and there was no way he could fake not hearing him. Killua sighed and looked up, only to find Gon sitting and staring at him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Gon…” Killua tried to look him in the eyes, but felt them fall downwards towards the water again. He needed to clear things up eventually before Gon got the wrong idea, but it was just so awkward. He swallowed. Might as well start from the beginning. “Remember when you told Leorio about the get together? And the presents?” Gon looked at him, clearly puzzled about why he was bringing this up. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Leorio told me to bring a “special” present, and well,” Killua looked over at the canoe where his present was. “I didn’t realize we were going to randomly get them, so I wrote a special message in mine.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The lack of emotion behind Gon’s response shot Killua’s heart rate up. Oh? Just an “oh?” Nothing more than that? Killua studied his face, trying to figure out what was going on about it. Did he expect it was for someone else? Who else would he get a special gift for like that? He lived with Alluka, he could get her gifts any time. Of </span>
  <em>
    <span>course</span>
  </em>
  <span> Gon thought that the gift was for him, then why was he acting like that? Did he not want it? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I was planning on giving it to you,” said Killua, squatting lower so he could get into the canoe. He grabbed his gift, and then Gon’s, bringing them up onto the raft. “But then we had to throw them into a pile, and everything got randomized, and you weren’t even paying attention during the exchange so I couldn’t cue for you to grab it. Ahg, all of this would have been avoided if I’d just paid attention when Leorio was talking to me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Please, Gon, you’re killing me with all these ‘oh’s,” teased Killua. Play it cool externally, while combusting inside. Check. Gon didn’t need to know how freaked out he was right now, that was totally uncool of him. But as he looked over at Gon, he realized something he’d missed before. It was hard to see, but against the soft lantern light Killua noticed Gon’s cheeks flush slightly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh...! Sorry, I just noticed a few things earlier and everything suddenly makes sense to me,” said Gon. He rested his soft hand against Killua’s, which was on top of the present. “About the gifts, and the game, and dinner. I was worried Kurapika wouldn’t show up so I kept checking the door. I tried inviting Kite too but he was busy, so I didn’t want to miss another friend. And then I noticed you being a bit standoffish and tense…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I thought you were ignoring me,” admitted Killua. He felt a smile creeping up onto his lips but held hit back. “So I felt awkward and tried to withdraw a bit.” Gon nodded as Killua spoke, and suddenly the feelings that were causing him so much grief earlier flowed easier. So it really was just a misunderstanding. Gon wasn’t actually mad at him. But he donned a slight smirk… </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can I have my gift then?” asked Gon, eyeing the package Killua was holding. “That’s for me, right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You didn’t win it in the exchange,” teased Killua. Gon looked at him with a playful pout that Killua just couldn’t resist. “Fine. It’s yours. But I’m taking whatever yours was. It’s only fair that we trade.” Gon smirked at him before tearing into the wrapping paper. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hopefully they’re up to your standards, I haven’t tested any of them yet,” said Killua. “But I think I did a pretty good job.” It wasn’t the most humble of brags but Gon was too distracted rummaging through the inside of the present. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“These are so cool!” exclaimed Gon, holding up some of the lures Killua had crafted. Killua shone the lantern on them. “You made these yourself?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The Hunter Database had a list of all the fish you can catch in the area so I cross referenced them with the lure database and watched a few videos to get the techniques down, it wasn’t that hard-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t care, I think they’re awesome!” said Gon, looking through the box, holding up another one. “Whoa, this one will catch a scorpionfish. They’re not good to eat, but they’re so venomous-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That it causes headaches and vomiting, I know, all that fun stuff. I figured you’d be more interested in the cool, dangerous looking ones,” said Killua. Gon beamed at him. So cute...</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, you’re right, I’ve only seen the ones the fishermen have brought back on accident, I kind of want to see one on my own, and now I have the means to do it!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Gon, you’re the only person I know who is genuinely excited over fishing.” But that was just enough, Gon could be excited for the both of them. It was nice to see him so passionate over something. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Happy New Year’s, Gon! I couldn’t have asked for a better friend. I really miss travelling around with you, so here’s to a year of new adventures! But there’s something else I want you to know. These lures are made specifically to catch different fish, so like the lures, I think it’s only natural to tell you this way. You’ve caught my heart, and you can keep it too! To another great year, I hope I get to spend it with you,” Gon read out loud, looking up from the letter right up at him. The edges of the paper bent as Gon gripped onto it tighter. Killua felt his cheeks flush bright red. Why did it sound so cheesy like that when Gon read it out loud? It sounded soft, and wholesome, and… Killua bit back that thought. He could express his feelings around Gon, he didn’t have to hold back or try to be cooler than he was, that’s what made Gon so cool. It’s true that he put a lot of time and effort into it, but Gon seemed to like it a bit more than Killua expected him to. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So…. yeah,” said Killua, chewing on the inside of his cheek. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know I like you too,” said Gon, softening his gaze. “Like, a </span>
  <em>
    <span>lot.”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Killua breathed a sigh of relief. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Even after I made a bad pun?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It wasn’t a bad pun! I liked it,” said Gon, folding up the letter to put back in the box. He handed the present over. “It’s Leorio’s, not really sure what he got.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If it’s a book I’m throwing it overboard,” joked Killua, tearing off the wrapping paper. “Mint chocolate? Seriously, Leorio…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I like mint chocolate…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re not getting both the presents,” teased Killua. He looked over at the line they set up between the fireworks. If he started the nen pip on the end right now, that would give them a few minutes to paddle off before the fireworks went off. “Come on, let’s head back.” Killua grabbed the lantern and stepped into the canoe, holding his hand out for Gon. He grasped it, and Killua felt his heart flutter once again. They must have only paddled for a minute before Gon put his paddle down and turned around, face illuminated in the soft light. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve been thinking, and you deserve a personal gift too. It’s not like I can just make something out of thin air right now,” said Gon, facing Killua. He opened his mouth slightly and then closed it, as if he were going to say something. He closed his eyes, leaning in closer to Killua. He wanted to tell him, “Gon, you’re going to miss the first fireworks”, but suddenly that felt unimportant. It was as if the whole world was moving in slow motion as Gon rested one of his hands on Killua’s. Their lips briefly touched, an explosion of color in Killua’s peripheral vision, blanketing them from the rest of the world. He grabbed onto Gon’s hand as he pressed deeper into the kiss, not even caring that he might rock the canoe. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was only for a few brief seconds, but it felt a lot longer than that. Killua brought up his hand to touch his lips. There’d been countless times where he imagined what kissing Gon would be like, but it was nowhere near as good as the real thing. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That doesn’t count as a gift, you know,” said Killua, glad that Gon couldn’t see how much he was blushing. It definitely did count as a gift. But he wasn’t going to let Gon off the hook that easy. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is the first time I’ve seen you genuinely smile all day,” said Gon, rubbing his thumb against the back of Killua’s hand. “I know we spent a lot of time setting up the fireworks but I don’t even really want to watch them now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fireworks are only for a few minutes, we can kiss any time,” said Killua, as if it were a matter of fact. He internally recoiled at the sentence. Admitting stuff like that outloud was totally embarrassing, but Gon didn’t seem to care about that type of thing, he could always say what was on his mind. No matter how many times he reassured Killua that he could do the same, it always felt different. Still, he just told Gon that he could kiss him </span>
  <em>
    <span>later.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Why was he freaking out? Gon had initiated the kiss, and he was his best friend, even if he totally misinterpreted the sentiment there wasn’t a chance that Gon would hate him for this. But that didn’t stop his heart from beating loudly in his ears.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Any time?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gon’s amber eyes shone brightly from the light of the fireworks. That’s right, Gon liked him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, any t-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Killua’s words were cut off by Gon grabbing him by the shoulders and pulling him into a kiss, the canoe rocking back and forth slightly in the water. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I guess we’re going to miss the fireworks anyways,” said Killua in between kisses. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re making my heart feel like fireworks right now,” said Gon before Killua rolled his eyes at him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Could you be any more cheesy?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You like it.” Yeah, Killua did. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What? What makes you say that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gon sat back up. He looked off to the side, then back at Killua. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You always blush when I’m affectionate towards you,” he said, chewing on his bottom lip. “But I think it’s really cute.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uhg, now I know it’s just a ploy to get me to blush,” said Killua, holding his hands over his cheeks. Gon rested his hands on top of them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I say things because I like you, Killua, not because I’m trying to tease you. It’s the truth!” exclaimed Gon. “I just want you to know how special you are to me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Gon…” said Killua, softening his gaze. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I hope that clears things up about earlier, I don’t want you to feel like I don’t want you here. Because I do. I actually wish you’d come more often, but I know everyone’s busy, and-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll stay the rest of the week if you’ll have me.” Killua squeezed onto Gon’s hands tighter. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’d like that a lot,” said Gon. Killua felt his heart skip a beat. He leaned over and rested his head on Gon’s shoulder. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How long do you think we can stay out here before they start calling for us,” asked Gon. Killua thought back to the conversation he had with Melody earlier. She said she’d help, and she was likely observant enough to know what was going on.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Who cares,” said Killua, pressing a quick kiss onto Gon’s cheek. “We’ll row back when we feel like it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They didn’t stay out for </span>
  <em>
    <span>too</span>
  </em>
  <span> long, or at least according to Killua it was a fine amount of time. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You two did a wonderful job with the fireworks!” said Mito, giving Gon a pat on the back. “I think this is the best we’ve had in years.” Gon and Killua beamed at each other, but there was a subtler, smugger expression they shared, knowing that they completely missed the fireworks show for a special reason. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You two were out there for a really long time,” said Alluka, holding back a smirk. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, leave them alone,” said Melody, giving Killua a wink.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Does everyone want to open presents now? It’s finally midnight,” said Leorio. Killua and Gon froze. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You two opened your presents too early, didn’t you?” said Melody. Gon opened his mouth to talk but promptly closed it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wow, a year of bad luck just because you couldn’t wait, better luck next year,” teased Mito, ruffling Gon’s hair. “Come on, let’s go back inside, it’s too dark out here.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Killua felt Gon slot their hands together, giving him a little squeeze as they walked back to his house. He leaned in closer, brushing their shoulders together. Mito said they had a year of bad luck, but that only applied if they were impatient with their gifts. In actuality, they were </span>
  <em>
    <span>definitely</span>
  </em>
  <span> patient with these gifts. Killua smirked to himself. This would be a year of good luck instead. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thanks for reading! If you liked this, make sure to check out all the other fics in the collection! </p><p>I haven't written Killugon in a while...</p></blockquote></div></div>
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